It’s 5:15, your shift was over 15 minutes ago and you have a train to catch. You run out of your office, catch the elevator going down, take your first step off the elevator onto the ground level when suddenly—slip!—you’ve fallen backward and bumped your head on the granite floor. Still determined to catch your train, you make a quick recovery and continue running to the train station.

5:34—you made it!! You take your seat on the train and finally relax when you start to feel a headache coming on. You pop 2 ibuprofen, thinking it will pass. 15 minutes later you start feeling a bit dizzy and your vision starts to blur—you still have a headache. You start rubbing your head when you realize you can’t remember much about the end of your day. Did I lock my office? Is my computer off? When did I leave?

Headache, confusion, sensory problems, and amnesia of events immediately before an accident are all common symptoms of a mild traumatic brain injury or TBI. Unfortunately, most people who experience a mild brain injury disregard it and continue with their routine like the person described. While 75% of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) a year are a mild form, any head injury can sustain future affects and require immediate medical attention, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.

Traumatic brain injuries are the direct result of a sudden blow to the head, causing the brain to collide with the inside of the skull. The trauma of this accident can bruise the brain, tear nerve fibers and cause bleeding. The most common causes of TBI are falls, assault, motor vehicle accidents and direct strikes to the head.

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury each year.

Because so many TBI are mild, medical care is often disregarded. However, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune, recent studies show that victims of TBI are eight times more likely than the general population to suffer from clinical depression a year after the accident.

Also, “young people who suffer concussions are at greater risk of long-term physical and mental consequences, lawmakers were told Thursday at a hearing on head injuries to high school athletes” according to the Chicago Sun Times. This information is daunting because males ages 15-24 are the most likely to suffer a TBI.

The long term effects of any TBI can greatly affect your future state of mind and health, medical attention is imperative after any collision involving your head.

If you believe yourself to be a victim of a brain injury, consider your symptoms, which range from physical to psychological effects. Signs and symptoms of a mild brain injury, or concussion, can include the following: brief unconsciousness, headache, confusion, mood changes, dizziness, amnesia of events immediately before the accident, and sensory problems such as blurry vision or bad taste in the mouth. Moderate to severe brain injury signs and symptoms include: seizures, slurred speech, persistent headaches, profound confusion, numbness of extremities and an inability to awaken from sleep.

Because children may be unable to communicate their symptoms, look for the following behaviors: refusal to eat, loss of interest in a favorite toy, altered sleep patterns and school behavior, crankiness.

TBI can also cause epilepsy and can increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’ disease and other brain disorders that come with age, victims of any brain trauma should consult a medical expert immediately and take careful precautions to make a full recovery.

Be kind to your body after a brain injury and give yourself the recovery time you need with lots of rest and time before returning to usual activities and routines. Avoid activities that could result in another blow to the head because repeated TBI injuries within a short period of time can result in fatality.

Consult a health care physician before operating a vehicle, bicycle, or machinery and avoid drugs and alcohol until approved by a physician.
A brain injury is no small accident. Help yourself or your loved one and receive a medical attention before it’s too late.

Victims of a traumatic brain injury should consider consulting a legal representative if the accident was due to a car crash, medical malpractice, truck accident or another form of unlawful injury. Ronaldson & Kuchler personal injury lawyers want to help you look into the matter and ensure that your claim receives the best representation.

<a href=”http://www.linkedin.com/companies/ronaldson-and-kuchler-law-office” ><img src=”http://static.linkedin.com/scds/common/u/img/webpromo/btn_cofollow_badge.png” alt=”Ronaldson and Kuchler Law office on LinkedIn”></a>